


Love is Stupid

by Donteatthefootcream



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Ed deserves hugs, Idiots in Love, Injured Oswald, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Season Five theories, season five
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-05 23:52:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16820956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donteatthefootcream/pseuds/Donteatthefootcream
Summary: In the beginning, Oswald wasn't planning on ever working with Edward Nygma again. But, when Jim Gordon repeatedly puts them together to stop everyone who threatens Gotham City honesty is a given.





	Love is Stupid

Ed disappeared when he came back from the dead. He never spoke about how it felt, to be dead. Some assumed he saw Hell and was traumatized. Others believed his atheist beliefs were contradicted and Edward Nygma could _not_ be wrong, but the third opinion was that there was _nothing_ to remember; a thought that terrifies many. In the end, it didn’t really matter. The Riddler was taking a break in the midst of the madness investing the city.

Oswald didn’t care about Ed’s disappearance, or that Ed never thanked him for saving him. Oswald protected him, saved the one person he would never admit feelings for _ever_ again. He did his job and that is all he needed to continue on with his life. However, he wished he left Ed for dead when he reappeared just by the look of him.

“It has to be you!” Ed accused him, gun waving in the air.

But, all Oswald could worry about was whatever was on his head. He would let Ed shoot him _after_ they took care of the mess falling past his ears in the greasiest and straightest way. It was horrible to look at.

“What did I do now?” Oswald sighed, exasperated.

“Yes-” A pause, “You do!”

“No-” A pause to simply mock Ed, “I don’t! Because I haven’t done anything since you left!”

Ed didn’t look like he believed Oswald at the time. His face was stern and horribly angry, but isn’t it Ed’s fault in the first place for thinking Oswald would seek revenge? “I- I keep waking up in strange places with no recollection of what happened prior. It’s not.. _him._ I got rid of him months ago.”

“Ed, tell me why I would want to hurt you? The only thing I want to do to you is take you to the barber. You look _horrendous_.” He made a look of disgust, shouldering to pass Ed in the empty club.

“I locked you in the bank with a smelly, dead _Butch_ and a _fire_ for a woman who ended up betraying me _just like you said._ Why wouldn’t you want to torment me?”

Oswald looked at Ed, leaning on his cane with a pitiful expression. “I don’t mean to sound cruel, but your reckless, lustful decisions hurt you enough. I don’t need to do _anything_.”

Ed stared at him for what felt like forever, still wearing the look of displeasure and expecting Oswald’s composure to break. _It didn’t._

He eventually gave up, falling him and plopping down onto the nearest chair with a choked out noise. It sounded like defeat. “I believe you.” He rubbed his face, running his fingers through his hair with almost hidden disgust. 

“Good. Now, please leave. I have business to attend to.” He approached Ed, patting his shoulder in an almost superior way. “For future reference, it’s polite to schedule an appointment with someone of _my stature_.”

Ed slapped Oswald’s hand off of his shoulder, glaring down at the floor. “You have the right to hold grudges, Oswald. I understand that. To hate me even, but I have no one to turn to. I don’t know who’s… _controlling_ me. I hardly have the capacity to take care of myself-” He gestured to his hair, “This as example.”

He sounded so sad, pathetic. His heart panged for Ed, to help him in any possible form. Although the loving and _right_ thing to do is to help his _one true love,_ business has been deemed a higher priority. Oswald refused to have his passionate, loving heart be his downfall… _again_.

“I can’t help you, Ed,” Oswald finally said, moving his body to the side his arm outstretched towards the door. He couldn’t bring himself to verbally tell Ed to leave so he’ll just show it.

Ed stood up weakly, pressing his fingers hard into his eyes under the glasses. To Oswald, it was clear sign of stress, or how he was blocked on how to solve a problem. He dropped his hands to his sides, looking at Oswald one last time in hope of a change of heart.

“Foxy is little help,” Ed whispered, desperate.

“I wouldn’t be much help either, Ed. You know this,” Oswald replied.

“He doesn’t care about me!” Ed painfully laughed, “I simply thought someone who- never mind. I see my presence is not wanted. I guess I’ll see you around, Oswald.”

He allowed Ed to walk away without pushing him to finish his thoughts. He didn’t turn around, didn’t beg him to stay even though his heart told him so. Yet, he didn’t let Ed leave without saying, “Go to the barber, Ed. Maybe it’ll encourage Mr. Fox to help you when he’s finally able to look at you.”

The door was opened with a faint huff and the door slammed behind him. That was the last time Oswald would see Edward Nygma for weeks.

A crime lord as himself discovered soon that not only is the booming crime rate an extreme problem for the boys in blue, but the martial guard sent eight months ago add to the difficulties as well. Oswald’s city has been falling apart, literally and figuratively, for months and his eagerness to help Jim Gordon was quite expected. But, Oswald wasn’t expecting the cleaned up Edward Nygma to come to Gordon’s aid. Ed cares about himself, not this city or the people in it. If anything, Oswald was expecting him to join in with the other lunatics murdering, torturing, and kidnapping.

He doesn’t know what the GCPD is playing at with how they put things together. Oswald feels as if he’s in a Scooby-Doo cartoon, the split up and team ups never changed and seemingly intentional for suggestion of relationships. He doesn’t like the vibes the constant pair ups with Ed give him. The way Gordon, Bullock, and Fox look at him makes him stay awake at night, _wondering what the hell they’re planning against him._

He’ll never admit though that he enjoys it. His time with Ed. Time full of riddles and bickering.

The shootout with the martial guard at the docks is more than Oswald believed it would be. Jim on one side with Ed on his other. When Jim Gordon asked him if he wanted to shoot at the martial guard is was an obvious yes. When would he be given the chance to shoot at law enforcement without punishment again? Most likely never.

And the shootout was fine until everything fell apart. _Again._ When pain is so intense, the person is expected to go into shock. For Oswald, it’s a mixture of that, the world black in one eye and suddenly in slow motion as he falls to the grimy ground, and his high pain tolerance. The pain in his right eye is excruciating, making him feel sick to his stomach and unable to bring himself off the ground.

Oswald expects to be ignored or not noticed as he lays there on the dirt, his hand putting pressure on the excessive bleeding. He's not noticed. Not by Jim. Not by Bullock. Not by the no-name cops. And most certainly, not by Ed.

_He’s wrong._

  


He wakes in the GCPD medical examiner room. His head pounds, his right eye is useless, and there’s thick bandages wrapped around his head to take care of its bleeding. Truthfully, he’s had far better days.

What he doesn’t expect is for his silence to be ruined by the door opening, the man of his dreams holding two pills and a paper cup. Ed is obviously distraught even with that look of… _happiness_ in his eyes? Oswald doesn’t attempt to smile at him.

“You’re awake,” Ed says, relieved.

“Yes, and my head is killing me,” Oswald grumbles in response.

Ed glances at Oswald’s right side. “Th-that’s expected.” He moves forward, offering his hands, “This will help with the pain. From everything.”

Oswald swallows it dry, pushing the hand with water away from him. “Where are the others? We need to keep moving.”

He stands, moving around Ed. He does not wish to speak with him. And, he hates the fact that Ed might be trying to talk to him. What Ed can do for him is continue this neutral relationship. Not hate, no loving.

“You always end up rejecting water from me, don’t you?” Ed scoffs, smiling to himself.

Oswald stops moving. _Ed’s apartment._ “I didn’t want your mothering then. I don’t want it now,” Oswald snaps. “Where are the others?”

“Planning on what to do next.” His tone is just as impatient as Oswald’s.

He throws his hand up, laughing his infamous annoyed and superior laugh. “Then shouldn’t _the Riddler_ be helping? Your plans unfailingly go to plan _every time._ ”

Ed shivers, closing his eyes with his hands clenching at his sides. “Stop it.”

“Go-”

“No one else wanted to car- _supervise_ you while you were unconscious, Oswald. That’s why I’m here and not with them.”

Oswald decides not to push it. He woke up from an damaging injury five minutes ago; he doesn’t need another one from the man in front of him. He rolls his eyes in response and walks to the door, hand on the doorknob. He’s twisting the knob until Ed is forcefully pulling Oswald back.

“When you fell to the ground, bleeding all over yourself _no one cared._ I care, Oswald,” Ed confesses hushed. “You’re the only one. Not Kristen. Not Isabella. _Not Lee Thompkins._ You accept every part of me, know me more than I know myself sometimes, and try to protect me _even_ when it bothers me. Do you know how hard it is to live in this city without you? No one is my intellectual equal. _You_ are the only one who truly cares about me.”

“Ed, stop it,” Oswald whispers harshly, pulling his arm out of Ed’s grip. “I owe you nothing! And, you mean nothing! After all you’ve done to me, you should be thanking me for still being alive.”

“You’re right.”

“What?” There has to be a catch.

“Thank you for loving me.”

Oswald shoves him, pinning Ed up against a cabinet. Ed allows him, his hands at his side. His calm demeanor reminds Oswald once again of Ed’s apartment. Holding a knife against Ed’s throat with no sign of fear. Maybe that’s what draws him to Ed. Ed isn’t afraid of him.

“I might have lost half of my eye sight tonight, but that _will not_ stop me from killing you, Edward Nygma.”

“Why did you save me, Oswald?” He raises a hand just for Oswald to hit it aside. “You can’t live without me. Just like I couldn’t live without you. I had to take hallucinogens to _see you_ when I thought you were dead. I had to go save you from Arkham to help myself. You might’ve been right when you told me I needed you, but you need me too. You can not have one without the other.”

He almost gives in at Ed quoting his words. “I _hate_ you.”

Ed laughs, nodding. “Love is stupid, Oswald.”

Oswald takes a step back, giving Ed his room back. “There are a lot of things going on. Too much to discuss where we go from here. Jeremiah is running about, Bane is a large threat, the martial guard is a pain in our asses, the city is basically on fire, and my eye is shot. We need to finish this chapter before we start another one.”

He nods, looking away from Oswald. “That makes absolute sense.” Ed chuckles softly and returns his gaze to Oswald. “One thing though.”

He _nearly_ groans. “What?”

This time, Ed invades Oswald’s personal space. His eyes track his features like shark, his grin just as dangerous. Oswald can’t help it, but to wish Ed even closer. His hands in his styled hair, lips against his.

His dream comes true as Ed presses their lips together _hard._ Oswald believes he felt teeth for the faintest moment. With Ed, Oswald never thought their first kiss would be gentle with such passion, speaking words they’ve been holding back for over a year. He expected biting, pulling, tongues fighting for power, any way to show dominance. However, his face is cradled in Ed’s hands as his own run their way through the lanky man’s hair. It’s everything he’s wanted. The _man_ he’s wanted for what feels like forever at this point.

“This city is going to be _trembling with fear_ at the sight of us _together_ , Oswald. The Riddler _and_ the Penguin,” Ed whispers darkly against his lips.

Oswald smirks, pecking the man’s lips. “Oh, I couldn’t agree more, my dear Ed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, none of this is 100% accurate. I'm just writing based on what I've seen from set photos and what I want to happen between these two. 
> 
> Thank you for the support!


End file.
